UPDATE 2-EU launches Galileo satellite, challenging U.S.

Reuters ^ | Wed Dec 28, 2005 09:19 AM ET | By Richard Balmforth

[patriciaruth]

Good luck to them. Hope we all get some great information from this probe.

[soccer_maniac]

NSA will launch a satellite to monitor and spy on their satellite :)

[Pondman88]

Prediction--This thing is complete failure.

[Red Badger]

They couldn't find their butts in the dark with two hands, a flashlight and a map.............

[Onelifetogive]

I sure hope that some of the billions of dollars that go missing every year in the US Government is going into weapons that will protect out satellites and attack other countries' satellites. If (When?) we have to fight another major power, I hope we have an appropriate arsenal.

[Columbo]

[mtbopfuyn]

Whew, it's just the EU so my gps reciever is safe.

[Jordi]

already under discussion , certainly there's some "nationalism" behind it.(From the ESA website:"European independence is the chief reason for taking this major step.")

[in hoc signo vinces]

Exactly. "You dont think they really spend 15,000 dollars for a hammer, $20,000 for a toilet seat, do you?"

[kidd]

This might be a benefit to the US

Our military equipment could now use the EU system as a backup. If an enemy tried to disable our GPS guided equipment by taking out several of our GPS satellites (or by jamming their transmission), then our equipment could conceivably use the EU system as a backup.

[RockinRight]

Hehe...probe...

[tarepeter]

If the Frenchy government has any involvement with this then we have every justification to destroy it immediatedly as it is a tool of our enemy.

[ScaniaBoy]

Here is a link to a blog that discusses the political and commercial aspects of the Galileo project. In the link there are two further links to Deutsche Welle were some of the technical aspects are discussed.

http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/#113577779065571781

[emiller]

Yeah, the antichrist is going to need a way to monitor the people that are marked/chipped- ha ha

We use it for parking, and finding our way to the mall- they'll use GPS for jew-hunting

[jveritas]

After 45 years or so they want to start competing with us in space! We are at least 15 to 20 years ahead of any space technology the Europeans have.

[GunnyHartman]

"We are at least 15 to 20 years ahead of any space technology the Europeans have"

i.e. the missing Beagle. ESA to Beagle...ESA to Beagle... ar you there Beagle? Damnit Francois, see if the Americans can find our missing probe!

[Jordi]

After 45 years or so they want to start competing with us in space! We are at least 15 to 20 years ahead of any space technology the Europeans have.

It's a point we can spare a couple of thoughts in addition. After the grounding of the shuttle fleet, the NASA actually doesn't have a manned vehicle to access the space. Actually regular manned mission to the ISS are performed only on Russia's Soyuz. The last manned mission on the moon happened a third of century ago. NASA "ambitious" space program aims at a new human landing on the moon by 2018 or so. (It would be a full 45 years after the last one!)

I correct your sentence: "45 years ago we were at least 15 or 20 years ahead of any space technology the Europeans had"

[jveritas]

OK Jordi you in Europe are way ahead of the US in space technology (extreme sarcasm).

By the way the space shuttle is still the most advanced vehicle to go into space. When the new NASA space vehicle will be launched; your European space program will look like stone age compared to the US and not just 15 to 20 years behind as it is the case now. And tell me again when is Europe going to put a man in space without using Americans or Russians space vehicles? You know even the Chinese got a man in space two years ago!

Go and enjoy your European delusions of greatness somewhere else.